Chikungunya cases in the National Capital have shot up to 423 and dengue cases to 487. The figures released by civic authorities shows a massive rise in the number of cases, as till last week just 20 cases were reported in Delhi.

The
sudden spike in chikungunya and dengue cases in Delhi and several
other parts of north India, has come nearly 10 years after a big
outbreak of the mosquito-borne disease across the country.

In
Focus

According
to the municipal corporations, the highest number of dengue cases
have been witnessed in the areas under the North Delhi Municipal
Corporation with 19 cases. In the East Delhi Municipal Corporation
area, 15 cases have been identified and in South Delhi Municipal
Corporation, 71 cases have been registered.

The All India
Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) alone recorded 391 cases till
August 20. Department of Microbiology at AIIMS, Lalit Dar said, "Out
of 133 samples sent to our labs, 83 were tested positive in July and
this month till August 20, out of 502 samples, 279 tested positive
for chikungunya."

While,
Safdarjung Hospital has reported nearly 250 cases till August 29. A K
Rai, Medical Superintendent of Safdarjung Hospital said, "Chikungunya
cases have spiked in the city. We are getting more and more patients
with its symptoms. Till August 29, our hospital has reported 246
cases."

With
the outbreak of both the diseases in parallel, it has become a
serious task to distinguish between chikungunya and dengue, as both
the diseases are caused by the bite of the same mosquito- Aedes
aegypti.

A
typical chikungunya patient manifests high-grade fever, severe joint
pain, headache, muscle pain, joint swelling, or rash. While dengue is
a viral disease and symptoms appear after five to six days, in this
the patient has high fever, headache, rash and muscle and joint pain.
In severe cases serious bleeding and shock also occur, which can be
life threatening.

In
order to prevent chikungunya and dengue from spreading, people should
not allow water stagnation, protect themselves from mosquito bites,
aerosols should be used during day time to avoid mosquito bite, avoid
exposing arms and legs, dispose off unnecessary items such as old
tyres, flower pots, cans, etc., use mosquito repellents or mosquito
net.